Direction-indicator for motor-vehicles.



s R. CHAPIN. DIRECTION INDICATOR FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

Patented Aug. 6, 1918.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-7,1918.

INVENTOR, Sumner R; Chain,

m; V ,E My

ATTORNEY.

SUMNER B, CHAPIN, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

DIBECTIONJNDICATOR Specification of Letters Patent.

FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Patented Aug. 6, 1918.

Application filed February 7, 1918. Serial No. 215,889;

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, SUMNER R. CHAPIN, citizen of the United States ofAmerica,jre siding at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State ofMassachusettts, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments inDirectionlndicators for Motor- Vehicles, of which the following is aspecification. 7

' This invention relates to improvements in direction indicators formotor vehicles for the purpose of indicating to the traffic oflicer, or,to a person driving a motor vehicle who may be following the one aheadof him, and on which the indicator is located, for the purpose ofshowing the direction the driver of the first machine wishes to take,that is to say, either to the right, left, or directly ahead. oftentimesserious accidents occur because the operator of a motor vehicle, or atrafiic ofiicer, does not definitely understand difierent indicating.

in advance, which direction a driver-of a machine wishes to take.Broadly considered, the invention comprises a cylindrical or casingmember within which is located. devices for operating a pair of pointersby means of a slidable rod which extends to within easy reach of theoperator of the vehicle. These pointer devices are simultaneouslyoperated and are so located to be'easily readable, either at the frontor rear ends of the casing containing the pointers. Suitable means areprovided for attaching the indicator mechanism to the vehicle so aS tobring the same within easy 'reach of the operator. Means are alsoprovided for adequately illuminating the interior of the easing in orderto render the pointers plainly readable at night. Means are alsoprovided for hdjustably retaining'the, pointers in their posltionsaswill be fully explained in the ody of the specification. It'is"understoodthatobviods changes in.

; form'or proportions are included within the 'drawings:-,.

Figure broken r-ior constructionof the inclosi infg' casing wjithinwhich the indicator -01". 'pointeg des'co eofmy-irivention. I

eferrirg to the different figures of the 1 is a vertical on the liner-'1 of Figuizg-showingthe inte- ,vics are located, also, the hollow, ar-m in slid bl effrodi'slocated for operat ing 'evi ces.

"of-Fig.1, showing the apes,

sting shaft to which the pointers are armored, also the-pinion foroperatin same, by means of the rack on the rod, an ,th'e flat spring forretaining the-rod in its different P081 tlons of adjustment, and

' Fig. 3 is an end elevational view showi the pointers, or indicators inthe three di :lerent positions.

Referring now to the drawings in detail:

1 indicates a suitable inclosihg casing, preferably formed from thinsheet metal as steel or brass, the opposite ends of which. casing areprovided with an opening. These openings are closed with the plates ofglass:

indicated at 2. One end of the casing is formed with a removable portionor section as indicated at 3. This ection is secured in place by anysuitable me ns as for example a hinge shown at 4, and any suitablesecuring means. shown at 5. The platesof'glass bear against, or enga ethe stops or ledges 6 of the casing; 7 in icates a beveled ring whichrests against the plates of glass. .Thisjing 1s retained in place bymeans. of the spring wire ring 8. Located withinthe casin an" secured tothe bottom portion thereo -,'are

the brackets 9 which are secured. toithe casing by means of the rivets10, P11 is a shaft pivotally supported in the upper ends of the bracket9. Mounted on and secured to the shaft 11. is an operating gear 12Secured to the ends of the shaft ll are the direction indicators, orarrows, 13 by means of the. screws 14:. These indicating arrows areformed by means-of the arrow shaped 0 nings which are cut out of theoFaqWedis 9' that are secured to the ends .o the shaft 11.

. These disks may consist of any suitable 'substance. as for examplethin metal; 31'represents transparent pieces, as thin'ee'lluloid,

which are-secured to the matrices of the I .white, andthe .rear one,'31, 1s preferably composed of soine red substance. These'thin,transparent substances therefore permit the light ,to show througlrthesame when the interior of the casing 1 is illuininated,'as will be descd'. Tl1e"disks9, it shonld'be'uniders t'ood, th erefore turn with theshaft 11 when the'smne is rotated. bvthe rod'15. These indi-jeating-arrows, as shown in Fig's. 1 and 2, are

designed to be operated and turned by'me ans of theshaft 11 when thesame is actnatedby means f the push rod 15. This rod is pro!- of 'zontalsectional view o lliQ pid d' with a rack 16 on its lower; side, as

Itjn esheswith theiteeth of the g'p'u;

12. This rod is located in the hollow arm 17 that su ports the casin 1-,being secured thereto y means of the rivets 18. 19 re resents a suitablesupport or standard w ich may be a art of the motor vehicle to which thearm 1is secured byrneansof'the braces 20 and 20, and support 21 on theunder side ofthe arm 17. The bracket 20'may be'extended and secured tothe casin 1 as shown at 20. The arm, or casing, 1 extends to- .wardtheright and its inner end islocated and terminatesfflwithin' convenientreach of the '0 erator. 'I 'he push rod 15 for operating the s aft 11.is,;provided with an operating knob 22 that is connected to'an' upright23, which is secured to the rod 15 in any suitable manner. For thepurpose of retaining the rod 15 in the diiferent positions oflongitudinal adjustment, a flat spring 24 is provided, which spring isformed with the recesses 25 to receive the upright 23 when it is snappedfrom one recess to the next during the operation of the push rod 15 inorder to retain the indicating disks '9 having the arrow shaped openings13, in adjustment. When the push rod 15 is moved toward the left, thearrow shaped openings-13 are shown pointing upward or straight-ahead, asindicat'ed by thedotted lines 13, in Fig. 3. When the push rod 15 ispushed still farther toward the left, the arrow openings stand in theposition shown at 13 indicating that the driver of the vehicle wishes toturn to the left. For the purpose of illuminating the space between thearrow indicating mechanism, an electric lamp 26 is placed within thecasing 1 which is connected 'by means of the wires 27- that lead throughthe hollow arm or casin 17 to a suitable source of electric energy,indicated at 28,. A suitable switch may of course be provided in theconnections for turnin on and off the current to the 1am 26 as esired.The ush rod 15 is rovide with a $1013.29 for the "purpose of imiting itsoutward andinward movements in operating the disks 9' which show thearrow openings 13'. The pin 30, in the slot 29,

serves as. the' limiting 'sto for thejrod 1'5.

It will be-seen from this escription that I have provided adi'rectionindicator device that can be readily installed on any existingmotor vehicle and one that can be easily-,- 0 erated' b the driver toindicate the direc- 1:1611. he wis ms to go, also that the arrows, areplainly visibleboth to the front and rear of the machine-either in. dayor ni ht time. ;The arrows, 13 may be colored if esired, as d to makethem plainly visib e.

WhatIclaim is: 3 1. A direction indicator for motor vehicles,comprising, in combination, a casing 1 having transparent closures ends,means for attaching the? 66' part of a motor vehicle, mow

formed by openings in the opaquamembers are secured, a transparent pieceover the arm for the casing-a havin 1 means for operating the, she

. which the casi -combination, an inclosing casing, a sharotatablysupported in the casing and on'the ends of which directionindicating arrows opaque members, a pmion on the shaft, an arm forattaching the casing to a part of amotor-vehicle, means engagm thepinion for operating the shaft, wherliiy when the pinion engaging meansis operated, the indica-ting evices will be 0 erated in unison by theshaft, means for holding the indicating devices in difl'erent' positionsof adjustment..as described.

3. A direction indicator, comprising, in combination, an open endedinclosing casing formed with transparent closures for its open ends andat the front and rear ends respectively, a rotatable shaft withinthecasing and to the ends ofwhich indicatingarrows formed byopenings inopaque men;

bers which are connected to the shaft, means.

for illuminating the interior of the casing comprising an electri fp,a'supporting jato the motor ve- 10o hicle, said arm bein low to receivethe operating devices for he indicators and the wires from the lamp toa. suitable source of electric energy-, 4

4. dir" [tio'n indicator for motor vehicles comprising, 'ni --combination, an inclosing casing, a shafti rotatabl mounted therein. diskssecured-,to'the en s of the. shaftand an w shaped opening forniediineach isk, ,ans arentpiece secui-edtdthe inner side of the isks andover'the openings therein to show the position of said opening when theshaft is rotated, and means for operating theshaft, and "iiieans forillumimating the interior of the'casing.

' 5. directioniindicator for motor vehicles comprisin in combination, aninclosing casing, a s aft rotatabl mounted therein, a disk of opaquemateria secured to the shaft and having an. arrow shaped opening'formed12o; therein, a transparent piece ofcolored material secured to theinner side of the disk and over the opening, to show the position ofsaid opening when the shaft. is rotated,

and means 12.5 for illuminating the interiorio the casin a rod engaginga 'pinion .onutheshaft, said rod being located within a hollow; arm to.is's c eds, animate-dissesamber vehicles m a die arrow shaped openingformed therein, a

comprising, in combination, en inclosing casin a shaft rotatably mountedtherein, secured to the shaft and having an trans arent piece secured tothe inner'side of h the isk and'oVerthe opening in the disk to show theposition of said opening when the shaft; i5 rotated, melilis 'foropemtin'g'ithe shaft, means for illumineti ing the rodym d'fi'erentposltijons of a'dj f t, ment for the purposedeserib d,

SUMNER ICH PIfi;

the interior o of the cesin a rod and a'sprmg for scour-10

